Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Puppy Potty Training the Easy Way

Puddles the Pup snuggles in a down comforter.

Cute, cuddly, floppy-eared and innocent - who can resist a puppy? They give unconditional love and companionship. They guarantee loyalty to the end. But there is one thing that is not very awesome - nasty yellow puddles.

Without a dog in your home you are unlikely to ever encounter a surprise urine puddle on your tile, seeping between the boards of your hardwood, or permanently soaking into the pad underneath your plush carpeting. Some dogs don't ever have accidents in the home (who are these steel bladdered dogs?) but for most dogs it is inevitable that they will have an accident in the house. It may be that they couldn't hold "it" any longer. It may be that they haven't learned any better yet. It may be that they are "marking" their territory (Yahoo - the dog owns the lounge chair. Do I need to buy another one since mine has been claimed by dog pee?).

Whatever the reason for the indoor dog pee, noone enjoys it. There are several housetraining methods that are helpful but do not seem to fully solve the problem of indoor dog pee. Typical housetraining methods include:

Crate training - This method involves employing a crate to help establish a safe zone for your dog. This does not help keep messes off the floor when the dog is not in the crate but is a helpful tool while teaching your dog to not soil indoors since dogs generally do not like to pee where they sleep. If you have a dog that is getting taken out frequently but still soiling in the crate you have either (1) a dog with bladder problems or health issues to be evaluated by the veterinarian (2) a dog that may come from a careless breeder that did not allow the puppy a place to eliminate away from the whelping box or (3) a dog that needs to be taken out much more frequently.

Zone confinement - This method invloves making a smaller space, such as a kitchen or laundry room, available to the dog that is not ready to roam the entire house. Accidents generally still occur in this space but they are genereally easier to clean up. This does not really help housetrain the dog but instead makes the clean-up easier. Usually this method is employed by people who have given up on trying to housetrain their pet and do not want them to be in the crate all the time.

Constant supervision - The theory is great - constantly monitor your dog's every move when outside of the crate. As soon as it attempts to soil inside the house, give a correction (such as "No, outside!") and take the dog outside immediately. Until now - this has been more of a joke than anything else. This method suggests that the dog never leave your sight at any time. If you look away for a moment and the dog has an accident - you automatically fail when using this technique. It is inevitable that you will be distracted by a phone call or someone at the door. Murphy's Law insists that the dog will soil your house as soon as you look away.

Frequent Walks - This method is great for lots of exercise and to ensure that the dog has an empty bladder. This method also teaches the dog to start playing outside since they are bored and do not need to actually use the bathroom. Some dogs are not peeing inside because they "have to pee" they are peeing inside because they "want to pee" such as when marking their territory or preference for a soft white carpet (or the leg of your favorite chair). When this is the case, no frequency of walks outside will change their behavior.

Any combination of the Above Methods - Usually a combination of the above methods are used to housetrain a dog. Sometimes a dog quickly accepts the system of only going to the bathroom outdoors and is housebroken easily. Some dogs are more resistant and still insist on going indoors. Another category of dogs never has an accident until they are older and lose bladder continence.

When the above methods do not work for you - or you do not want to wait until your floors are soiled to find an easier method - try The Housebreaker. The Housebreaker is a proven safe solution to quickly help housebreak a young or older pet, guaranteeing no pee on your floors. If your pet has reached an age where they cannot hold their pee anymore, The Housebreaker can be used to add dignity to their golden years by alerting you when they have soiled their garment. Whatever age or stage your pet is at - The Housebreaker will ensure that your pet does not soil your home.

5% of all Proceeds from the sale of The Housebreaker Kit are dedicated to charities.

8 comments:

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